Across Brazil, it was still a busy week for farmers, with some 9% of the crop harvested, said AgRural. But the Mato Grosso issues mean fieldwork, at 30% complete, is no longer that far ahead of last year, when 27% had been collected at the same stage.

The heavy rains in the state are affecting the quality of the beans and some moisture-related losses have been registered, the consultancy added.

In an attempt to limit losses, farmers have been harvesting in wet conditions. In Nova Mutum, center-north of the state, there are reports of farmers delivering beans with 27% moisture, the consultancy said.

With further rains forecast for this week, the situation is worrying for farmers. However, we mustn't forget that these issues are common at this time of year.

Another regular issue has also reared its head in Mato Grosso: the surge in freight costs come harvest time.

The cost of sending a metric ton of soybeans from northern Mato Grosso to Santos port has already reached R$315 ($134), which is a third higher than last month and over 20% higher than at the same stage last year.

In Mato Grosso as a whole, harvesting efforts were 48% complete as of Friday, up from 47% at the same stage last year.

In neighboring Mato Grosso do Sul, the harvest was 55% complete as of Friday, some 12 percentage points ahead of last year. Rain is also impeding farmers but, on the positive side, it is aiding the second-crop corn that has been recently planted.

The situation is similar in parts of Goias, but overall harvesting is further ahead of last year at 54% complete compared with 33% last year.

There is some good news for the Brazilian crop with temperatures dropping in the southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul, although rain continues to be irregular. More patchy showers are forecast for the next week.

The No. 3 soy state suffered amid dry weather over the last month, which has caused some losses to the crop, AgRural said.

In Parana, the No. 2 state in the south, fieldwork is now 31% complete, the same as last year.

The harvest is near completion in the west of the state, at 90%. Early yields were good, but according to AgRural, later-planted beans suffered amid hot, dry weather in January.

In the northeastern state of Bahia, rains have returned just in time for plants in reproductive stages, said AgRural. But two dry spells will have hurt the crop.

Wed Jun 17, 2015 01:32 PM CDTA lack of consensus over how farmers will react to low grain prices and credit restrictions means local analysts can't agree on whether the Brazilian soybean crop area will rise or fall in 2015-16.

Mon Jun 15, 2015 02:57 PM CDTBrazilian farmers will use less fertilizer on their soybean and corn crops in 2015-16, the first drop in NPK use in six years. Meanwhile, an import bottleneck may cause fertilizer prices to rise in the second half of the year.

Wed Jun 10, 2015 09:29 AM CDTBrazil authorities hope the U.S. will announce a lifting of a ban on its fresh beef shipments to coincide with an official visit by President Dilma Rousseff at the end of the month.

Wed Jun 3, 2015 10:28 AM CDTBrazil's government announced a 20% increase in official farm credit for the upcoming 2015-16 season, which came as a pleasant surprise to farmers who thought the budget would be the same as last year at best. The increased funding may help bolster soybean area next year.

Wed May 27, 2015 02:11 PM CDTBrazil's government has eased its grip on fuel prices, offering ethanol producers some relief, but the outlook for the industry still doesn't look that bright as uncertainties abound.

Wed May 20, 2015 11:34 AM CDTArgentina's government propose an Intacta seed registry as a way to curb illegal business and resolve the impasse over soybean testing by exporters, crushers and elevators.